


Talk of Marks

by lolahardy



Series: From Dark to Light [23]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Pillow Talk, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2014-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-18 11:34:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2347049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolahardy/pseuds/lolahardy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All of Eames' tattoos have a story. Arthur wants to know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Talk of Marks

**Author's Note:**

> Beta-ed by my love [Leesha!](http://darlingleesha.tumblr.com)

“Tell me about your tattoos.”

It was a few weeks after their first time, after Arthur had finished his shift at the club and after Eames picked him up. They had dinner and after a tumble in Eames’ bed, Arthur lay over him, his chestnut colored waves falling around his face, tousled, messy and wild, a smile on his face, a faint dimple showing up on his cheek. Eames looked at him, reaching up to his face, smoothing back the curls to show off his eternally young face and said,

“All right...which one?”

Arthur smoothed his hand across Eames’ chest, picking the first one, pressing his finger to it, outlining it.

“This one. You don’t seem like a theater fan.”

Eames laughed a little, feeling Arthur’s fingers over his chest, tracing the comedy and tragedy masks.

“I had hopes of being an actor when I was a teenager. I didn’t quite make it.”

“And this one?”

His hand moved over to his shoulder where the black tribal ink covered the curve of his arm.

“It’s a cover up.”

“You covered something else up but not this leprechaun?”

“I kept it there on purpose. It was my first one. I was fourteen and reckless. I kept that there to remind me of my reckless stupidity.”

Arthur nodded as he slid hand across to the other arm.

“I get the London skyline...but the saint?”

“It’s when I shaped up. I was lucky I didn’t get myself killed when I was young. I figured I had someone of a higher power on my side.”

“Like what? How did you almost die?”

“Drank a lot. Experimented a lot. Picked a lot fights and ran away from the police a lot. Dealt with the wrong people and made a lot of poor choices.”

“Like what? Tell me a story.”

Eames smiled a bit as Arthur looked at him like a child waiting for a bedtime story, his head tilted to the side, resting his chin on his folded arms on top of Eames’ chest. Eames brought his hand up to his hair, running his fingers through his own hair as he thought for a moment.

“All right. When I seventeen, a couple of my mates and I went on a bender. We mixed uppers with alcohol and partied all night. I hardly remember anything other than sweating my arse off at some club, and grinding up on some girl. When we started to crash, I took a hit of ecstasy and blacked out the rest of the night. When I woke up, I was in someone’s bed...I couldn’t even tell you who’s and I had lost my trainers. The bottom of my feet where black and bloody and I had a mouth full of blood. My own actually, I lost a tooth as well.”

He pointed to a false tooth in the upper row of his teeth as Arthur looked in awe.

“So I stumbled out of the flat and walked home. I had lost everything in my wallet but not my wallet oddly enough.”

Arthur laughed a bit as he picked his head up.

“Wow. That is a hell of a night.”

Eames nodded.

“And the crow?” Continued Arthur.

“Raven.”

“Ok, fine the raven.”

“I actually just really liked that raven.”

Arthur laughed, resting his head down on his chest again, Eames’ holding him for a moment before Arthur sat up again, pulling at the sheet back slightly.

“Who’s S.W and why until you die?”

Eames touched the side of his body, sighing a little.

“When you’re sixteen, you think love is real.”

Arthur twisted his mouth slightly in an annoyed pout, and Eames found it endearing that he would be jealous of a memory that existed before Arthur was even a thought in his mind. He took his hand and Eames sat up, pulling Arthur over to him.

“Silly boy.”

“Shut up.”

Eames chuckled slightly.

When Eames turned over, Arthur continued asking.

“Who’s the angel?”

“My nan when she was young.”

“Aw...that’s actually really sweet.”

Eames hummed, holding the pillow close to his face, feeling Arthur resting on his lower back, his thighs tense, everything between them still warm and wet. It was hard not to be distracted.

“The dog?”

“He was my dog. He passed away some years ago.”

Arthur frowned and touched the tattoo, running his fingers over the outline of the dog’s face. He then moved up to the scorpion looking mark on his shoulder blade.

“Is this really a scorpion?”

“Yeah.”

“Mmm. Didn’t these hurt?”

“In a good way.”

“You have so many. Which was the last one you got?”

“The raven. The rest I got in my teens and twenties.”

“You should get another one. Of my name, right over your shoulder.”

He laughed and Eames smiled at him.

“Don’t tempt me.”

Arthur stopped laughing and leaned down, resting his hands on Eames’ shoulders, tilting his head a little to look him in the eye.

“Would you really? I was just kidding.”

“I might. If you stick around long enough.”

“Idiot.”

He nudged him as Eames laughed and turned them over, knocking Arthur off, hearing him gasp, then laugh as he landed, and Eames was on him again, kissing him, holding him down.

  
The next time they talked about Eames’ tattoos, Arthur was laying on his stomach, feeling Eames kissing his shoulder, smoothing his large hands over his hair, down his back, over the back of his arms. It was close to a year later from their first talk and Arthur still worked at the club but he had all but moved into Eames’ apartment. He spent many nights there and came there after his shifts and it was great. Arthur slowly turned over, reaching up to put his arms around Eames’ neck, pulling him down for another kiss. When he pulled back, he looked at him, bending his knee to press his leg against Eames’ side, Eames’ hands on his hips.

“Hey...I was thinking…”

“Yes, kitten. What about?”

“Do you remember, when I teased you about getting my name tattooed on you?”

“I remember.”

“I was thinking...maybe later on, you could.”

“All right.”

“Just like that? You’re not going to even think about it?”

“I’ve been thinking about it since you mentioned it the first time.”

“Idiot.”

Eames laughed a little, going in for another kiss.

“Don’t actually do it…”

Arthur whispered to him, his fingers scratching at the nape of Eames’ neck.

“Shouldn’t that be my decision?”

“Yeah...but it feels like a lot to ask for. And I was just kidding.”

“There was a half truth in that joke.”

“Eames…”

He weakly nudged him, looking a little serious and Eames kissed him again.

“Aw, kitten...don’t you worry. I won’t do it any time soon. Maybe after a little more time, see if you still stick around.”

Arthur gave him a look and Eames kissed him again, still smiling.


End file.
